ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˌfī transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
Etymology: Late Latin stultificare to make foolish, from Latin stultus foolish + -ficare -fy — more at stall
1. : to allege or prove (oneself or another) to be of unsound mind so that the performance of some act may be avoided
2.
a. : to cause to appear or be stupid, foolish, or absurdly illogical
the dullards become more stultified than ever — C.H.Grandgent
incidents will have occurred tending to stultify conclusions — James Stevenson-Hamilton
how like the man to stultify himself, to prove all his own theories wrong — Clemence Dane
the court did not stultify itself by claiming that its ruling fulfilled any logical, legal progression toward racial equality — C.S.Dowdey
b. : to impair, invalidate, or reduce to futility or uselessness especially through debasing or repressive influences : frustrate , nullify
the psychiatrist stultifies his role if he allows such misunderstandings to develop — C.P.Printzlien
demand for fresh leadership … is running smack into the stultifying seniority system — T.R.Ybarra
the slavish traditionalism that stultifies most contemporary ecclesiastical art — Time
centralization … stultifies their local initiative — Hugh McDiarmid
stultified by the oppressive atmosphere of her earlier life — Martin Levin